Homeschool field trip gone awry!

I woke to a lovely and crisp Indiana morning this morning and immediately decided that TODAY was going to be FIELD TRIP day! Yesterday was a nearly perfect Mother's Day for me and I decided to "keep the good times rolling!" Most of our children were able to make it to our church to attend services and my older son attended with his in laws....pesky ol' in laws! Haha! Love them, too!! We are truly blessed! We then had a family cookout with ALL my kids and "like my kids" (step children) except the one who is in the military in California. It was a great day!

This morning we had a few errands to run but first my 20 year old daughter came downstairs and we all sat around and laughed and talked. The time really got away from us! Jennie packed our lunch of PB&J's and goldfish crackers...yum yum...actually they are the Aldi brand of "Sharks" crackers and they were yummy with PB&J!

I had a difficult time trying to find the office building I was going to FIRST and my husband's friend (who he was lunching with!!) happened to have his computer phone with him and gave me directions via Roger while I drove. (Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be talking on the cellphone but it really seemed like an emergency.......)

I finally found it and we were OFF to Conner Prairie! (this is a really neat Living Museum that displays Indiana history through many time periods.) We go there quite often so...well, anyway, we got lost....I have an excuse...I have never tried to get there from the other side of town before and I lost the road. I thought I should go EAST and I should have gone WEST! I kept telling the kids that I had NO IDEA where we were and that SURELY I would fine the correct road soon. When we got to the town that my husband started out his life in, I knew we were NO WHERE close to where we should be. Becca told me that I should just go back the way I came and Jennie said that I didn't know where I was then, either, sooooo......

Eventually we got really hungry and I suggested that we break out the picnic basket. The girls quickly objected because, "Then we wouldn't have a PICNIC!!" So, we went to McDonalds.

I, being a FEMALE,finally stopped and asked directions and soon we were at Conner Prairie! As we drove back to the main building, we were pleasantly surprised that there were only about 50 or so cars in the parking lot! This place is usually packed but since by that time, it was nearly 2'o'clock, I reasoned that the school field trips were probably on their way back to school by this time!
"Gotta LOVE this!" Jennie grinned as we found a perfect parking place!

As we locked the doors to the van and started walking, Becca stopped.
"Mom, the sign says, 'We're closed today.'"

RATS!! I put $20 worth of gas in the van, got lost twice, spent money at McDonalds and drove all this way for this???
We finally found a park in nearby Noblesville where we could enjoy part of our day and have a picnic, after AGAIN calling my poor abused husband to ask where a nice park might be found in Noblesville, Indiana. He knew!! In fact, he knew just where we were, exactly at which Wendy's we were stopping to use the little girls' room (hey, you know what I mean, one of those LARGE McDonald's Sweet Teas??? Gotta find a rest room fast!!) and he immediately directed me to a wonderful park! He amazes me...he does this every time I get lost...which is often....I'm beginning to wonder if he has a tracking device on my car or in my purse.....
Nah, otherwise, he would know when I went to the Goodwill Stores!! (and SOMETIMES he doesn't!! hehe!!)

We had a nice but very cold picnic and then decided it was time to go home.

Wonder of all wonders, there is an incredible Goodwill Store in a neighboring town and OF COURSE we had to stop!

Jennie, my missions minded teenager, found 1/2 price infant and children's clothes for her latest project, sending clothing to an acquaintance in Kenya for needy children. We bought a LOT! This week we will try to get to garage sales and hopefully spend less than we did at Goodwill and get a LOT of clothing!!
Jennie has been saving her change and collecting some from a few agreeable individuals and keeping it for a special project. She hasn't been sure what she was going to do with it but she knew it was going to be used for a mission of some sort in Kenya. She has decided that it will go to pay postage for the items she collects to send. I think she has just over $120 that she has been saving for nearly 2 years. She's quite a girl. She doesn't have a working ipod or most of what the teenagers in this incredibly affluent town has but she doesn't care. She wants to send the things to Africa instead. She had such a good time picking out nice usable clothing for those little children and I know that it made her heart joyful....way more joy than an ipod would give her! (and me....)

So, I guess our homeschool day wasn't exactly what we expected but it has turned out pretty well. It reminded me what precious people our children are and that I am so glad to have them in my life!
Happy late Mother's Day!